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NZ's farming industry is not sitting back waiting for others to determine their fate.
OPINION: By the time Auckland mayor Wayne Brown made the symbolic act of declaring a ‘state of emergency’ during recent flooding, the actual emergency response – everyone from council and emergency services to citizens helping each other – had been underway for hours. Nobody was sitting on their hands waiting for a sign from on high.
Similarly, NZ’s farming industry, facing a raft of challenges, is not sitting back waiting for others to determine their fate. The pages of this issue of Rural News are full of examples of the myriad ways that ‘NZ Ag’ – everyone from research bodies, to farmers are helping themselves and others – is adapting.
The resilience of the entire industry is on display here. In the face of headwinds from markets, the climate, and artificial restraints (government red tape).
Stories in this issue outline how research is underway to find low-cost ways to reduce runoff of phosphorus and sediment; and to more accurately forecast the impact of climate change on pasture growth, so that modelling more accurately predicts the impact on productivity.
The Plant Breeding and Research Association is improving farmer access to information about pasture genetics – a key tool for farm adaptation.
The machinery section shows how manufacturers are busy innovating to reduce on-farm emissions and boost efficiency.
PI is also busy, via its chief scientist Dr John Roche, building a modern version of the farm advisory service, called On Farm Support.
Other articles explain some of the ways farmers and growers are responding to higher interest rates and input costs, or to labour shortages. Nobody is sitting around waiting for help from Wellington or anywhere else; the industry is adapting and finding a way through.
Strong demand for sites at the coming round of regional field days – Northland (March 2-4), Central Districts (March 16-18) and Kirwee (March 29-31) – and supporting marketing campaigns suggest the ag service & supply side of the industry is positive about the year. It is ready to get properly back into gear after years of supply and shipping constraints. Field days organisers, forced to cancel under Covid lockdowns and take the loss on the chin, are hopeful farmers will turn out in force to these events.
As always, farming finds a way. As one writer in this issue says, “Unless eating goes out of fashion, NZ farmers’ place in the future is assured”.
OPINION: When I moved to Marlborough two decades ago, I found countless lines of tidy vines, neatly mowed and carefully sprayed, with diligent conventional practices interspersed with the odd organic or cover-cropping outlier, like Te Whare Ra.
OPINION: The Government has been seeking industry feedback on its proposed amendments to a range of Resource Management Act (RMA) national direction instruments.
OPINION: The Government's decision to stop local authorities going ahead with reviews of district and regional plans makes sense for several reasons.
OPINION: Good times are coming back for the primary industries. From sentiment expressed at Fieldays to the latest rural confidence survey results, all indicate farmer confidence at a near-record high.
OPINION: Two reports out last week confirm that the worst may be over for pastoral farmers.
While the District Field Days brought with it a welcome dose of sunshine, it also attracted a significant cohort of sitting members from the Beehive – as one might expect in an election year.
Irish Minister of State of Agriculture, Noel Grealish was in New Zealand recently for an official visit.
While not all sibling rivalries come to blows, one headline event at the recent New Zealand Rural Games held in Palmerston North certainly did, when reigning World Champion Jack Jordan was denied the opportunity of defending his world title in Europe later this year, after being beaten by his big brother’s superior axle blows, at the Stihl Timbersports Nationals.
AgriZeroNZ has invested $5.1 million in Australian company Rumin8 to accelerate development of its methane-reducing products for cattle and bring them to New Zealand.
Farmers want more direct, accurate information about both fuel and fertiliser supply.
A bull on a freight plane sounds like the start of a joke, but for Ian Bryant, it is a fond memory of days gone by.
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